


I Thought This Was Love

by cloakoflevitation



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora's POV, Angst, Based on a Tumblr Post, Catra Needs A Hug, F/F, Feelings, Hurt Catra, Literally just Catra confronting Adora about leaving the Horde, Loosely set after season 1 episode 3, Plot? What Plot?, emotionally not physically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 15:58:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17490959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloakoflevitation/pseuds/cloakoflevitation
Summary: Adora's out in the woods trying figure out how to turn herself into She-Ra. The story starts when Catra shows up and confronts her about leaving the Horde while Adora's still processing the fact that the Horde is evil.





	I Thought This Was Love

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt found [here](https://creativepromptsforwriting.tumblr.com/post/180689664108/prompt-425).

“You’re not the person I thought you were.”

“No. I’m not the person you _wanted_ me to be.”

Adora took a step back, her eyes widening. “Catra… you don’t mean that.”

Catra’s tail flicked behind her, and Adora stifled a wince at the fire in her eyes. “Yes, I do!” The words stumbled out of her mouth over top of each other, as if she couldn’t get them out fast enough. “You’re always doing that! Telling me what I mean, telling me what I’m saying, what I’m supposed to be doing!” She threw up her hands in exasperation. “I’m not a kid, Adora! And I’m sick of being treated like one!”

“I never – I don’t treat you like a child!”

Catra’s eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. Her expression was pinched. “Well you don’t anymore,” she said flatly, the anger, the passion gone from her voice. “Now you just treat me like an enemy.”

Adora felt her stomach drop and had to look away. After taking a moment, she forced herself to straighten her shoulders and lift her chin. “The Horde _is_ the enemy. And as long as you stand with them…” and despite her best efforts, her voice wavered and grew quieter, “…then you are too.”

Catra looked as if she had been slapped. “You can’t mean that.”

Adora resolutely shoved down every emotion that flooded her chest. She had changed sides and she had a new mission now, but she was still a soldier. She had trained for things like this. She wouldn't let her emotions affect her. “I do.”

The silence killed her. She didn’t know what she expected Catra to say, but anything would have been better than the cold stare she got. “Join the rebellion, Catra, _please_. I can protect you and –”

“I don’t need your protection!” Catra’s hair stood on end, before she visibly forced herself to relax. “I never needed your protection, and you never saw that.”

Adora opened her mouth, to apologize, to explain, to try and fix things, but Catra kept talking.

“The Horde will win." Her voice was resigned. "The bad guys always do. And I won’t be able to save you from Shadow Weaver.” She smiled bitterly. “I wouldn’t even if I could.”

“I thought we were –”

“You thought we were what exactly?” Catra demanded mockingly, her words sharp like daggers. “We were just lost kids with no one else. You were Shadow Weaver’s favorite, and she only kept me because I was like your pet.”

“Catra –” Adora pleaded with her, begging her to listen.

“You don’t understand! I loved you Adora!” A tense pause filled the air as both girls realized the weight of what she had said. Catra’s eyes were wide. She looked so utterly helpless that Adora couldn’t help but take a step forwards and reach for her. But the expression was gone in a flash, and Catra stepped back, away from Adora. She gave a weary sigh. “I loved you, Adora,” she repeated, softly. Adora couldn't remember seeing her ever look so vulnerable. “I would have left the Horde, I would have followed you anywhere, if you had only asked.” She shrugged a shoulder dejectedly, not meeting Adora’s eyes. “I thought you knew that. I thought you felt the same way. But the worst part is… you left the Horde, you left everything you’ve ever known…” Her voice trailed off until she was almost whispering, “You left _me_ … And for what?" She sniffled, raising her voice, giving it an edge that almost hid the way it had just broken. "For rebel soldiers you barely knew?” Her eyes filled with tears, and Adora’s heart shattered. “You stood by and watched them hurt me and Lonnie and Rogelio and Kyle and even _you_ , but now suddenly you can’t stand it anymore? What makes the rebels so special? What makes you care about _them?”_ Catra shook her head. “You aren’t the person I thought you were.”

Tears streamed down Adora’s cheeks. If she had tried to speak, she was sure she wouldn’t have been able to choke the words out. But it didn’t matter because when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. She was speechless, completely at a loss for what to say, what to do. She felt as she had when Bow and Glimmer had shown her the destroyed village. It was if someone had knocked her feet out from under her, and she was falling somewhere dark and cold.

She barely heard Catra’s bitter last words. “Goodbye, Adora.”

And by the time they registered in her mind, Catra had disappeared into the trees.

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to continue this, but I had a really hard time with it. If anyone else wants to, go for it.
> 
> I ship basically all the ships in this fandom ( ~~because I'm a helpless wlw~~ ) and in my mind Adora eventually realizes how she hurt Catra, and Catra eventually leaves the Horde because she doesn't even like them anyway and they both get their happy ending together.


End file.
